Ricky Perry was born on March 4th, 1950. He was the son of his proud parents Amelia and Ray Perry. Both were ranchers for a living in West Texas. Perry grew up in a small town by the name of Paint Creek, Texas. This hometown is a little more on the outdated side. A post office and a grocery store being the two things missing. Rick Perry attended Paint Creek High School and graduated in 1968. For further education, he looked to Texas A&M University. He was well known for pulling pranks in college. Placing live chickens in a closet and firecrackers in toilets tells on that he definitely was immature. He graduated with a Bachelor of Animal Science degree in 1972.

After graduating from college, Ricky Perry decided to join the USAF. USAF stands for United States Air Force. In order to fly an aircraft he had to go through pilot training. Introductory pilot training alone takes about 50 hours total to complete. His duty was to drive a C-130 tactical airlift. With this plane he flew in multiple countries, including the United States, Central and South America, North Africa, and Europe. After five years Perry thought that he should retire. His final mission was to haul trash with a newbie crew. Completely out of the blue, one of the four engines of his plane caught on fire. With a total of three working engines remaining, the plane landed safely at an air base. Once they got the third engine replaced, Rick Perry was able to get back home and retire. He retired as Captain on February 28, 1977. Perry then briefly worked along with his father in the farming business. In 1982 he went on to marry Anita Thigpen. They had two children, a boy named Griffin and a girl named Sydney.

In 1984, as a Democrat, Rick Perry was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Five years later in 1989, Perry moved to the Republican party. Just a year later, this thriving politician became the Agricultural Commissioner. Rick took office as Lieutenant Governor in 1999. In the year 2000, Rick Perry became the official Governor of the state of Texas. Today Perry still assumes this same office. He holds the record for the longest serving Governor of Texas.

Overall, as a person and politician, I think Rick Perry is lacking in integrity. First of all, he doesn’t have enough self-control to let any of the other candidates talk at debates. So he is obviously not concerned with time limits. Secondly, this republican is very forgetful. While speaking in New Hampshire he slipped up on the national voting age and Election Day. His exact words were, “Those of you that will be twenty-one by November the 12th, I ask for your support, and your vote.” This is incorrect because the legal voting age is eighteen and the Election Day is always within the first week of November. He also forgot the third agency of government that he would want to get rid of. His statement was “It’s three agencies of government when I get there that are gone: commerce, education and the u8un… what’s the third one there?” Ron Paul a fellow candidate, tried to help him out by saying there are five agencies and guessed Perry meant to say the EPA. The EPA wasn’t his real answer by the way. “Oops,” he said after he couldn’t find the words to say. There were many occasions at a different debate that he would get too much into Ron Paul’s personal space, which was odd because he’s the one that tried to help him. Luckily, this moment took place off-camera, but a photographer still snapped the shot of Perry pointing his finger in Ron Paul’s face.

In general, I do not think Rick Perry has much respect for his opponents in the race for Presidency. It’s either that or he does not think before he acts, which could be dangerous if he was elected as President. In my opinion, this does not show integrity.

Based on the information I have gathered about Rick Perry, I discredit the importance of military experience for a future President of the United States. I would not really take into account if a candidate was a veteran or not when voting for them. Perry’s five years as a non-combat pilot do not seem useful in his campaign. According to Rick Perry, I would have to wait until I turn twenty-one.

If I were eighteen and able to vote, I would not vote for Rick Perry. Simply because you have served in the military does not qualify you as a good person. It does not mean that you are a kind, polite, or respectful. Records show that some non-veterans have served longer and had more successful terms than some veterans. It is difficult to make a complete comparison, because some presidents either died or were assassinated. Being a veteran should not guarantee presidency. Nor does it mean one will always have the best views in politics. Rick Perry also believes that Gays should not serve openly in the military. I think that is a very ignorant remark. I do not think Rick Perry is someone the military wants to represent them. In conclusion, having military experience is not relevant in the race to presidency. Having a military background is about as important for a president as it is for a fish to have feet.

Tatiana Del Valle is a student at Jewett School of the Arts. She is majoring in the Dance Department. She plans to attend the University of Princeton or University of Florida. She wants to study physical therapy. She hopes to open her own Physical Therapy office someday.

Note from the Veterans Editor: The opinions of this guest author may or may not be shared by the editor, but the ability to freely express them are respectfully championed!